Their Twitter war got UGLY — and it's all over Kanye.
Kanye West's surprise 2020 White House bid has certainly caused reactions -- but perhaps none as fiery as between these two.
Debra Messing and Nina Turner have been going at it on Twitter, the former branded the racist leader of the Karen coalition, the latter being branded bitter and partially to blame for violence, abuse and murder of Black people.
The drama all kicked off on July 4, when the "Will & Grace" star, replying to a tweet theorizing Kanye's recently declared presidential run was a ploy to get Donald Trump reelected, agreed the rapper was attempting to take young Black voters away from Joe Biden, branding the move "disgusting":
Absolutely. He’s playing Jill Stein. He’s trying to take you g black voters from Biden. It’s disgusting. https://t.co/9tlAkn3JxU
— Debra Messing✍🏻 (@DebraMessing) July 5, 2020 @DebraMessing
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View StoryThe following day, the former Bernie Sanders campaign co-chair took notice, and said the actress's suggestion Kanye could influence the Black vote was racist.
You just can’t stop dipping can you @DebraMessing? Your connotation is racist🤬.
— Nina Turner (@ninaturner) July 5, 2020 @ninaturner
1. Black voters are not owned by anyone. Our vote should be earned every election cycle. 2. We can think for ourselves & don’t need your help. 3. Sometimes it’s best to stay out of family business. https://t.co/RVsqJFDbS4
But Messing clapped back, accusing Turner of trying to grab the spotlight, doubling down on her assertion Trump and Kanye were in cahoots, adding: "I thought you were smarter than than [sic] Nina."
Trump. Biden swept the AA vote in the South. Kanye has millions of young AA fans. It’s not racist to say that Kanye can take Biden leaning voters from him. It’s NUMBERS. STATISTICS. If you want to use this to grab your spotlight, by all means. If you really care about the AA
— Debra Messing✍🏻 (@DebraMessing) July 6, 2020 @DebraMessing
Community having their vote counted, I’ll have Stacey Abrams call your when I speak with her this week.
— Debra Messing✍🏻 (@DebraMessing) July 6, 2020 @DebraMessing
A follower then waded in supporting Messing, claiming "Nina Turner trashing Hillary right up to election day knowing Donald Trump was the alternative is all you need to know about her. Full Stop."
Messing then took the fight to the floor, accusing Turner of helping "ensure the increased violence, abuse, and murders of blk ppl by trashing the *only* alternative to Trump."
Have meant Trump’s defeat in 2016. 77,000 votes. Let’s see if she’ll do it again. Put her energies/power behind someone who can’t win and thereby helping Trump hurt all POC exponentially more through 2024. I’d hope she learned something these last few years of horror and trauma.
— Debra Messing✍🏻 (@DebraMessing) July 6, 2020 @DebraMessing
She then tagged Turner in another Tweet that suggested that anyone who didn't see Kanye's move as racist "needed to recalibrate their own worldview":
@ninaturner https://t.co/KtYcDSRDjL
— Debra Messing✍🏻 (@DebraMessing) July 6, 2020 @DebraMessing
With that, Turner went off on Messing, branding her the "leader of the Karen coalition", trying to play the "Black manager friend card", and accusing her of attempting to create conflict between two female black leaders.
She concluded: "Lastly, Don’t You Ever Fix Your Mouth to Question My Love for My People. I have been a Black Woman All My Life!"
in the public space. Not only is it disrespectful to @staceyabrams and me, it is disrepectful to our Black foremothers who sacrificed so we could have a voice in the first damn place. 2. Your attempt to use Stacey (as if Black women have not been used enough 2/
— Nina Turner (@ninaturner) July 7, 2020 @ninaturner
It is RACIST to continue insisting that Black people (seasoned or young) will vote for @kanyewest
— Nina Turner (@ninaturner) July 7, 2020 @ninaturner
solely because he is Black. In case you didn't realize it, Kanye has white & Black fans yet you continue to insult Black voters. Further, since you are into NUMBERS & STATISTICS 4/
Lastly, Don’t You Ever Fix Your🤬Mouth to Question My Love for My People. I have been a Black Woman All My Life! 6/
— Nina Turner (@ninaturner) July 7, 2020 @ninaturner
— Nina Turner (@ninaturner) July 7, 2020 @ninaturner
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View StoryBut Messing wasn't even nearly done. She lashed back, claiming Turner's "historical bitterness" over Bernie losing the election had skewed her reading comprehension, calling her accusations "laughable".
"I am not interested in supporting this bit of drama you have constructed," she tweeted. "I sure hope you have learned from 2016, and will put our country and the safety of her most marginalized, first, this time."
Take young AA votes away from Biden ( whose numbers with AA southern voters was astronomical— another FACT- sorry I know they are inconvenient). I never said that black voters were a monolithic, that’s your narrative. I said Kanye would pull votes because he has FANS. Period.
— Debra Messing✍🏻 (@DebraMessing) July 8, 2020 @DebraMessing
I am incensed that you would suggest that I am trying to divide 2 black women. You accused me of having no respect for black voters. It is laughable. I referenced Stacey— who is inspired Leader whose governorship was stolen through voter suppression and is spearheading an effort
— Debra Messing✍🏻 (@DebraMessing) July 8, 2020 @DebraMessing
I am not interested in supporting this bit of drama you have constructed. Just a reminder— Trump is a white supremacist who is doing nothing as we reach 130,000 deaths by COVID, 40 million unemployed, and has done nothing to protect our soldiers from being assassinated for 100k
— Debra Messing✍🏻 (@DebraMessing) July 8, 2020 @DebraMessing
By Putin. To name a few catastrophes coming out of this administration. I sure hope you have learned from 2016, and will put our country and the safety of her most marginalized, first, this time.
— Debra Messing✍🏻 (@DebraMessing) July 8, 2020 @DebraMessing
Then on Wednesday, Turner went all out and point blank called Messing a racist, posting a long Twitter thread in the voice of the actress.
"Now I'm a bitter Black woman who can't comprehend, @DebraMessing you are well out of your depth baby. You need to read this moment, but you can’t even do that. Stop using other people to cover for your ineptness"
"Repeat after me: I @DebraMessing am a racist and I need help. I use my white privilege and stereotypes as attributes for Black women I don't agree with. For Black women I like, I use the 'Black friend card' and demand that they go check another Black woman."
I use my white privilege and stereotypes as attributes for Black women I don’t agree with. For Black women I like, I use the “Black friend card” and demand that they go check another Black woman. Moreover, I don’t respect the agency of Black people 2/
— Nina Turner (@ninaturner) July 8, 2020 @ninaturner
and the sad part is I don’t even know it. My lack of awareness is linked to my white privilege and neoliberal cloak. Confession is so good for the soul. Now, don’t you feel better? 4/
— Nina Turner (@ninaturner) July 8, 2020 @ninaturner
2016. You prefer conformity & illusion over righteous critique & substance. You are dazzled by a type of politics that celebrates being “better than Trump” without understanding how critically dangerous & low that bar is. You are as Frederick Douglass described among 6/
— Nina Turner (@ninaturner) July 8, 2020 @ninaturner
“Those who profess to favor freedom, and yet depreciate agitation, are men who want crops without plowing up the ground.”
— Nina Turner (@ninaturner) July 8, 2020 @ninaturner
Know this, you are messing with the wrong one because I am that 1 in 10,000. 7/
When one of Turner's followers posted a link to an essay entitled "I support strong women of color unless they are politically to my left" and tagged Messing, Turner retweeted with: "OMG Truth!!", before retweeting several attacks on the actress.
OMG Truth!!
— Nina Turner (@ninaturner) July 9, 2020 @ninaturner
Why Debra Messing Attack On Nina Turner Backfired https://t.co/54wJKeVVJS
— Nina Turner (@ninaturner) July 9, 2020 @ninaturner
🔥
— Nina Turner (@ninaturner) July 9, 2020 @ninaturner
🤣🤣
— Nina Turner (@ninaturner) July 9, 2020 @ninaturner
Karen thought she was calling the manager, but she ended up getting the Boss.
— Jason Call for Congress WA02 🌹 (@CallForCongress) July 8, 2020 @CallForCongress
Debra thinks Stacey Abrams is the manager of black voters.
— Dr. Victoria Dooley (@DrDooleyMD) July 8, 2020 @DrDooleyMD
😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂Bye, Karen! 🤣😂🤣😂🤣 https://t.co/6NgDesp7eZ
Debra Messing says she’ll “have” Stacey Abrams call Nina Turner to explain the “African American community” to her. #aintblack https://t.co/fP5JMhUAfK
— Briahna Joy Gray (@briebriejoy) July 7, 2020 @briebriejoy
Debra should create a new account because Nina just killed this one. #Flatline https://t.co/7pKuekv903
— RealTimBlack (@RealTimBlack) July 8, 2020 @RealTimBlack
Imagine being so privileged that you try to school @ninaturner about black voters. 🤔🤦♀️ https://t.co/eiktFOoD0I
— Amy Vilela (@amy4thepeople) July 8, 2020 @amy4thepeople
Debra Messing is the white moderate Dr. King warned about.
— Jen Perelman For Congress (@JENFL23) July 8, 2020 @JENFL23
Please say this one more again! The key word in elections ie EARN!!
— Nina Turner (@ninaturner) July 8, 2020 @ninaturner
Even Susan Sarandon, a long-time Bernie Supporter, and almost-as-long-time sparring partner of Messing's, retweeted Turner's post calling the "Will & Grace" star the "leader of the Karen coalition".
— Nina Turner (@ninaturner) July 9, 2020 @ninaturner
Debra seemed to close her side of the argument with a quote attributed to Kanye himself appearing to back up her argument:
Well, how about that. pic.twitter.com/6USRTmMrgR
— Debra Messing✍🏻 (@DebraMessing) July 8, 2020 @DebraMessing
Then, five days after the bitter scrap began, she posted what may, possibly, could be, might be interpreted as an olive branch (although she didn't tag Turner): a clip of Bernie Sanders praising Joe Biden.
"THIS is something to CELEBRATE! #ProgressiveWave2020 #Biden2020," she wrote.
THIS is something to CELEBRATE! #ProgressiveWave2020 #Biden2020 https://t.co/AsBxsCOiiU
— Debra Messing✍🏻 (@DebraMessing) July 9, 2020 @DebraMessing
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